


Nick-Nat-Caddy-wack (Conversation V)

by WaltD



Series: Conversations [5]
Category: Forever Knight
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-08
Updated: 2015-01-08
Packaged: 2018-03-06 16:16:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3140747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaltD/pseuds/WaltD
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Matchmaker, Matchmaker - with Grace among others</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nick-Nat-Caddy-wack (Conversation V)

                The characters in Forever Knight were created by James Parriott and Barney Cohen and are the _property of Sony/Columbia/Tri-Star. The stories here are fan fiction, in which Nick and Natalie survive "Last Knight", the series finale. Tracy and Vachon also survive. This story may be archived wherever by whomever.                     Wade Everett, a new detective is temporarily assigned to the 96th and Nick; he's found out what Nick is._

**NICK, NAT, CADDY-WACK V**

MATCHMAKER, MATCHMAKER

_Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make me a match_  
            Find me a find, catch me a catch              
       -- Matchmaker, Matchmaker – "Fiddler on the Roof"

_Nick & Natalie – in the Loft_

            "Not in so many words, it's just that his manner has changed," Nick said.

            "I know. He's been civil without my having to threaten him," she replied

            "Actually, I think our threats helped. He's not used to people talking back to him without regard as to what might happen. You pulled it off," he said handing Natalie a cola.

            "With a little help from your partner. It was a suggestion from him as to a way of dealing with LaCroix." Natalie watched as Nick poured himself one of her protein drinks, but with something a little extra added [a cup of blood]. She saw what he did but chose not to comment on it.

            Nick smiled, "Yeah, Wade's been on my case as well. Do you think he's trying to play matchmaker?"

            "On, no, Nick. Not at all, he's trying to smooth everything over so he can run away with Grace and have it go unnoticed," she said with some exasperation.

            Nick laughed, "You may be closer to the truth than you think. But, not with Grace."

            She looked at Nick, "Who?"

            "Oh, Nat!"

            She just looked at him. She really didn't know.

            He looked back at her and said, "LaCroix!"

            "Get out of town," she said and sat suddenly.

            "No, think about it. He's young, likes 'men of power', and who's more powerful than, well, you know."

            "I'll be damned," she said, nonplussed. "Ha! Detective Everett deserves to have a little something get under his skin, How about you ask him if he'd like to take part in a double wedding?"

            Nick nearly spit out his 'drink'. "Oh, that'd be rich. That might get to him. Although, . . . let's be careful about what we ask for, we may get it."

            Natalie said, "On, no, that wouldn't . . . . Uh, you don't mean? Well, you think?"

            "Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do 'think'. I think Detective Everett is quite as capable of manipulating LaCroix as LaCroix is capable of manipulating the detective. He may look youthful and be very friendly, but he knows what he's doing and he does it deliberately. But, Nat, I don't care who's playing who as long as they leave us alone."

            "Amen to that, Nick!"

            Nick placed his glass on the coffee table and took her soda and placed it next to his glass.

_Later_

            “Nick, let me be clear”

            << _Uh, oh_ ,>> thought Nick; sentences that start out like that are never good.

            “I want a relationship with you, but I’m not going to wait forever. You seem to be incapable or unwilling to take the lead in this, so, _I’ll_ lead and all you have to do is follow. That should be easy, right?”

            “Nat, everything I’ve done – do – is to –“

            “—protect me. Yes, I know. It isn’t working, Nick. Tracy is a good example of that. Nick, _you_ don’t have to do a thing but follow my lead. We’ve been pussy-footing around it for the last six months, so here’s the first step: we let people know we’re a couple – not engaged or anything [although that will disappoint Grace tremendously] – but they can treat us as a pair. Can you live with that?”

            “What scares me about all this, Nat, is that it sounds altogether too reasonable,” Nick said.

            “I know. Me, too. But, can you live with that? Nick, it’s that or nothing. I have to ‘get a life’ and I’d like you in it, but you’re going to have to apply yourself, otherwise someday in the future, you’ll be an honored guest at my wedding instead of one of the principals.

            “Now, listen carefully: if friendship is all you want, I can live with that, but I need to know. I want to wake up with a more than friend, I want to have kids – even if they’re adopted, I want more than a ‘friendship’ ring. But for right now, just being a teensy bit more than friends will be enough. So, we don’t have to find a venue for the wedding, order the flowers, or write vows, today", she said and paused.

            “Anytime within the next week or two will be enough,” she added with a gleam in her eye. She was testing him.

            He replied, “O.k., _Mi Amore_ , we’re officially ‘dating’.” And, with that he grabbed her and kissed her. Again.

_Grace & Natalie_

            “We’re dating, Grace; that’s all. Don’t read so much into it.”

            “In other words, Sweetie, don’t order the dress, the flowers, the caterer.”

            “Right.”

            “Can I at least –“

            “Grace! We’re a couple and that’s it. Inviting one of us is the same as inviting the two of us. If something more comes of it, that's o.k.”

            “Hmmmm, but what you are saying is that nothing might come of it, too, aren’t you?”

            “Well, I guess I am, but that’s something for me and Nick to work out. Right?” Natalie added looking at Grace intently.

            “R –i–i –i-ght! But I can still look at color combinations, find out what your favorite flowers are and all that?”

            Natalie sighed. “Yes, Grace, you can. And thanks.”

            “For what, Honey?”

            "For being you, Grace,” and Natalie got up and hugged her.

_Grace & Nick_

            “Detective Knight! I’m on to you, detective,” said Grace when she saw the detective come in to the office.”

            “Grace?” Nick said, puzzled.

            “Just see that you don’t string her along, you hear? You play straight with her or you’ll answer to me!” Grace said.

            “Grace? What are you talking about?” Nick asked.

            “I know you’re ‘just a couple’ now, but if you’re leading her on, so help me Detective, I’ll stake you myself!”

            “Ah,” said Nick, finally comprehending what Grace was getting at, “you have my pledge, Grace, that if Natalie and I decide not to pursue this that you will be the first to know. Is that o.k?”

            “It’ll do, but I’ll be watching you, detective; so be good, you hear me?”

            “Yes, M’am,” said Nick meekly – What else could he do?

_Party, Party!_

            “Surprise!” they all shouted as Nick and Natalie walked into the Morgue office.

            “What is all this?” Natalie was beginning to get a little steamed.

            “It’s a “Not-an-Engagement” party,” Grace said helpfully. “Since you’re not getting engaged, we thought we’d throw you a party,” she added with a look of innocence that would have done Mother Teresa proud.

            Nick said, with a chuckle, “Grace, you’re something else. Remind me never to cross you, o.k.?”

            “See that you don’t, detective,” Grace replied smiling and with a false sternness.

            “I won’t, M’am. Now, may I have a piece of cake?”

_Nat & Nick & Trace & Vach_

Natalie is talking with Tracy, and simultaneously Nick is talking with Vachon. Their conversations are remarkably parallel.

 

Natalie:                                                             Nick:

    Tracy, hi!  What are you doing here?                  Vachon, hi! What are you doing here?

Tracy                                                                Vachon:

    Grace called and let me know what was             Tracy called and asked me if I knew what was  
    going on. She's very determined                        going on. She's very determined     
    when she wants something.                               when she wants something. 

Natalie:                                                             Nick:

    Tell me about it!                                               You can say that again.

Tracy:                                                               Vachon:

    Anyway, I know it's not an engagement,            But you and I know it's not an engagement,  
    but it's the next best thing. I'm just                   it’s just the next thing to it. She's  
    so happy for both of you.  Maybe                      so happy for the two of you.  Maybe  
    I'll be able to invite you to a                              she'll be able to set up her own  
    non-engagement party for                                non-engagement party for  
    somebody else.                                                 guess who else?

Natalie:                                                             Nick:

    Oh, Trace!  That'd be wonderful!                       You know, Javier, it could be wonderful!

 

            "By the way, where's Detective Everett?" Natalie asked Nick.

            "Ah, Wade has to work. I think he's at the Division filling out forms. I'll take him a piece of cake later. He deserves this, I think. Grace may have put this together, but I suspect the detective had a hand in the groundwork!"

_Nick & Natalie_

            Natalie asked Nick later, “Did you actually eat the cake?”

            “No, I faked it, or, well, I don’t know. I swallowed it but later in the bathroom –“

            “Alright!,” Natalie laughed and held up her hand to say stop, “I get the picture. You’re sweet to go to all that for Grace’s sake.”

            “Oh, it was for you, too, Nat!” Nick finished and kissed her politely on the cheek. She kissed him back. _Not_ on the check.

_Nick & Grace_

            Grace came over and stood close to the detective. “Detective, I took the liberty of inviting your step-father although I didn’t really expect him. I hope that was alright?”

            Nick grimaced slightly, but quickly regained his composure

            “That’s fine, Grace, really. He – he doesn’t go out much, but thank you for the invitation.” But then he smiled, << _I wonder how many ‘non-engagement’ parties LaCroix has ever been invited to?_ >>

_LaCroix alone_

            LaCroix looked at the invitation in his hand. He started to get angry, but calmed himself by realizing that this was a friendly out-going woman – the matronly type – like Lavinia, he thought, thinking back to those oh-so-long-ago Roman days – the type who sincerely means well. Plus, since she worked with and liked the good Doctor, she would be a good ally to have for pumping of information, if nothing else.

            << _Well, Nicholas_ ,>> he thought, << _have fun with it while they last. They will all be dust in the blink of an eye anyway. If you want to hurt yourself by getting so close to these mortals who will eventually die and leave you, do not complain of it to me. But you will never learn, will you?_ >> He sighed.

_Nick & Grace -- Meanwhile back at the party_

            “Detective, --“

            “Grace,” Detective Knight interrupted, “I believe we know each other well enough that you can call me ‘Nick’. Please?”

            “Yes, of course, Nick,” Grace said taking his hand and patting it, “Your step-father is single, isn’t he? Why isn’t a man as good-looking as he is not dating at least? How about you all come over to my place some night, I know my sister-in-law – she’s a widow now, so it’s o.k. – would love to meet –“

            “Grace! Don’t you ever stop matchmaking? Anyway, I think he has a 'friend'."

            Nick then paused a second, then said, "Wait a minute. Grace! You **know** what he is! He'd be as apt to kill your sister-in-law as not."

            Grace looked at him, shrugged, gave Nick an enigmatic smile, and said, "Either way, Nick, my sister-in-law would be out of my hair.", and she sashayed out of the room.

            Nick gaped. "Grace!" Nick said shocked. He shook his head, smiling at this revelation.  

           

_Later – Nick & LaCroix_

            “Lucien, she wants you to meet her sister-in-law. But, it’s o.k. because ‘she’s a widow now’,” Nick grinned and all but laughed out loud.

            “I know the type, Nicholas. She means well, but it can get tiring after a few decades. Since, I suppose, you don’t want her drained, I’ll just have to bear it,” LaCroix said somewhat ruefully.

            “I would think about bringing her across, but she would probably be more angry about it than Wade was. One thing the community does not need is one angry Black woman on a crusade.” One vampire grinned at the image of a wildly angry Grace rampaging through the countryside; the other winced. Guess who did which.

            Nick smiled at the irony; LaCroix grimaced and thought only of how tasty she might be.

\-- De gustibus! –

 

\--0--


End file.
